Improvement in elevated railways



lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN L. HOOD,IHENRY O. HOOD, AND EZRAWV. CLARK, JR., OF

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFl COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent NO. 100,@93, dated Marchl5, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, B. L. HOOD, HENRY O. HOOD, and E. W. CLARK, Jr., allof the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain Improvements in Elevated Railways, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention consists of a single-rail elevated railway and car,constructed in forni and manner hereinafter described and set forth.

The object of lour invention is to secure an elevated railwaypracticable for use in cities where speed, safety, and convenience arerequired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of therear end of the car and track, showing the frame-work about the car, thetop and side guide-rails, the frictionwheels above andthe truck-wheelsbelow, the springs above and below the car, attached to v the wheels, tofacilitate the turning Of curves,

as also the manner of placing the coach upon the track. Fig. 2 is a viewof the top ofthe car, with the upper guide-rail and the sideguide-rails, illustrating the action of the friction-wheels when the caris moving in a direct line. Fig. 3 is also a view of the top of the car,and designed to show the action of the springs, both in thefriction-wheels and the truck-wheels, when turning a curve. Fig. 4 is atransverse section ofthe front end of the car, with track and framework, showing the construction of the interior of. the car, the frontfriction and truck-wheels, the side guiderails and friction-wheels, andthe boxing over the truck-wheels.

Heretofore single-rail elevated railways have generally been constructedfor the cars to fall below the track, the cars being divided into twodivisions, Or consisting of two separate coaches, swinging one on eachside of the track.

A striking feature of our railway is that it is intended for the cars torun on a single rail above the track.

We proceed to designate its parts: Posts of iron or other suitablematerial, designated as B in the drawings, and of such length asdesired, are rmly planted in the ground, and upon these posts the rail ais placed, be-

ing underlaid with a running sleeper of wood, A, which gives solidityand strength to the track. No novelty is claimed for this manner ofelevating the track. Horizontal wooden or iron bars c are now placedacross each upright supporting-post at right angles to the track, andfrom the ends of these extend the side bars or lateral supports D oftheframework which incloses the cars. These side bars are curved and drawnin at the top, so as to meet each other over the top ofthe car, wherethey clasp the guide-rail E, which is securely riveted to them. Thesebars are constructed so as to extend beyond the cross-bars, and are bentin so as to enter or fasten to the 'supporting-posts below. At the pointof juncture with the crossbars they are securely and firmly fastened tothe latter. The lengthening of them out forms a powerful brace, d d, andthus adds greatly to the strength of the framework.

Ve now have the structure ready for the car. This is constructed havingtwo wheels (Figs. l and 4, H) only, which are placed under the center ofthe car, one following the other, like the wheels of a velocipede. Theycan be made low enough to run entirely below the bed of the car, or maycome up inside and be boxed over, as indicated in Fig. L.tof thedrawings. .In the latter case the seats might be placed lengthwise ofthe car and over the boxing for the wheels, (Fig. 4, b 1),) so as toeconomiZe space. This arrangement by placing the passengers back to backin the center of the car and fronting the windows, would bring theburden of the load immediately over the wheels, which would render thestrain less upon the guide-rail at the top than would result in placingthe seats at the sides.

The guide-rail E is fastened above the coach, being grasped by the sidebars Of the framework. Itis in the form of a letter T invert ed, thecross of the T forming the flanges of the rail e e. This rail may be alight iron rail, or may be constructed partly of wood and partly ofiron. Friction-wheels F F are adjusted above the car to work againstthis rail with a lateral motion. Two pairs of these wheels are used, oneover each axle of the car.

The wheels of the coach-truck, as well as the friction-wheels, areconcave in their eXterior surfaces, and will embrace the track closely.In order to facilitate the turning of curves the axle of the rear wheelof the coach-truck steadiness and smoothness of movement when pursuing aright line, and will have a tendency to prevent the ordinary jarringmotion of railway-trains.

rlhe friction-wheels over the rear end of the coach are adjusted on thesame principle and in substantially the same manner, so as to correspondin movement with the wheels of the truck. Their action is shown in Fig.3, g g, which serves equally to illustrate the action of the springs inthe truck-wheels.

rEhe guide-rails for maintaining the carin position may be attachedY tothe side of the frame-work, when the frictionwheels would need to beplaced at the side to correspond,

Vbut they should be elevated sufficiently to allow the ear to swingaround under the guidevrail in turning a curve. rEhe spring would beapplied to them in substantially the same manner as to the topguide-rail. We have designated such an arrangement in the drawings, thefriction-wheels being marked I Land the side guide-rails t' t'.

The ordinary appliances, consisting of springs or cushions of rubber orother material, may be applied in our invention to the truck-Wheelsabove or the ear-wheels below, in order to prevent the jarring motionconsequent upon the vertical play of the car or upon unevenness in thetrack.

The cars on this road are intended to be drawn by locomotives placed onthe track in the same manner as the coaches.

We claim- 1. An elevated railway constructed with side bars which extendbelow the track and form braces, and which are secured at the top to acentral upper guide-rail, forming a frame-work inclosure.

2. In an elevated railway, a car adapted to run on and above a singlecentral rail, when provided with hanged trucks running against a centralguide-rail and side guide-rails, either or both, as and for the purposeset fort-h.

3. In an elevated railway having a central rail and guide-rails, springsapplied to the rear or forward trucks, either or both, and above andbelow, either or both, to prevent lateral jarring, as set forth.

BENJ. L. HOOD. HENRY O. HOOD. EZRA W. CLARK, JR.

Attest L. STODDARD, j GEORGE WRIGHT.

